diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index e32d329e8..9a24868dc 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 2007-06-16  Alex Roitman  <shura@gramps-project.org>
 	* src/GrampsDbUtils/_ReadXML.py (start_url): Correctly parse url type.
 
+2007-06-16  Don Allingham  <don@gramps-project.org>
+	* src/GrampsDb/_GrampsDbBase.py: fix typo
+	* src/GrampsDb/_GrampsDBDir.py: check for writability, otherwise open as readonly
+	* src/DbManager.py: use single, user configurable database path
+	* data/gramps.schemas.in: set default path to ~/.gramps/grampsdb
+	
 2007-06-16  Don Allingham  <don@gramps-project.org>
 	* src/GrampsCfg.py: additional database path
 	* src/Config/_GrampsConfigKeys.py: additional database path
diff --git a/data/gramps.schemas.in b/data/gramps.schemas.in
index 412138724..a413c018c 100644
--- a/data/gramps.schemas.in
+++ b/data/gramps.schemas.in
@@ -603,7 +603,7 @@
         <applyto>/apps/gramps/behavior/database-path</applyto>
         <owner>gramps</owner>
         <type>string</type>
-        <default></default>
+        <default>~/.gramps/grampsdb</default>
         <locale name="C">
           <short>Additional path where the databases may reside</short>
           <long>Additional path where the databases may reside</long>
diff --git a/src/DbManager.py b/src/DbManager.py
index c67fbfeaa..1a39e8225 100644
--- a/src/DbManager.py
+++ b/src/DbManager.py
@@ -225,35 +225,30 @@ class DbManager:
         self.model = gtk.ListStore(str, str, str, str, int, bool, str)
 
         # make the default directory if it does not exist
+
+        dbdir = os.path.expanduser(Config.get(Config.DATABASE_PATH))
+
         try:
-            if not os.path.isdir(DEFAULT_DIR):
-                os.mkdir(DEFAULT_DIR)
+            if not os.path.isdir(dbdir):
+                os.mkdir(dbdir)
         except (IOError, OSError), msg:
             LOG.error(_("Could not make database directory: ") + str(msg))
 
-        additional = Config.get(Config.DATABASE_PATH).strip()
-
-        pathlist = [ DEFAULT_DIR ]
-
-        if os.path.isdir(additional):
-            pathlist.append(additional)
-
         self.current_names = []
         
-        for path in pathlist:
-            for dpath in os.listdir(path):
-                dirpath = os.path.join(path, dpath)
-                path_name = os.path.join(dirpath, NAME_FILE)
-                if os.path.isfile(path_name):
-                    name = file(path_name).readline().strip()
+        for dpath in os.listdir(dbdir):
+            dirpath = os.path.join(dbdir, dpath)
+            path_name = os.path.join(dirpath, NAME_FILE)
+            if os.path.isfile(path_name):
+                name = file(path_name).readline().strip()
 
-                    (tval, last) = time_val(dirpath)
-                    (enable, stock_id) = icon_values(dirpath, self.active, 
-                                                     self.dbstate.db.is_open())
+                (tval, last) = time_val(dirpath)
+                (enable, stock_id) = icon_values(dirpath, self.active, 
+                                                 self.dbstate.db.is_open())
 
-                    self.current_names.append(
-                        (name, os.path.join(DEFAULT_DIR, dpath), path_name,
-                         last, tval, enable, stock_id))
+                self.current_names.append(
+                    (name, os.path.join(dbdir, dpath), path_name,
+                     last, tval, enable, stock_id))
 
         self.current_names.sort()
         for items in self.current_names:
diff --git a/src/GrampsDb/_GrampsDBDir.py b/src/GrampsDb/_GrampsDBDir.py
index a725244bf..0e1f8631e 100644
--- a/src/GrampsDb/_GrampsDBDir.py
+++ b/src/GrampsDb/_GrampsDBDir.py
@@ -433,11 +433,22 @@ class GrampsDBDir(GrampsDbBase,UpdateCallback):
 
     def load(self, name, callback, mode="w"):
         try:
+            if self.__check_readonly(name):
+                mode = "r"
             return self.__load(name, callback, mode)
         except DBERRS, msg:
+            print name
             self.__log_error()
             raise Errors.DbError(msg)
 
+    def __check_readonly(self, name):
+        for base in [ FAMILY_TBL, PLACES_TBL, SOURCES_TBL, MEDIA_TBL, EVENTS_TBL,
+                      PERSON_TBL, REPO_TBL, NOTE_TBL, REF_MAP, META ]:
+            path = os.path.join(name, base + ".db")
+            if not os.access(path, os.W_OK):
+                return True
+        return False
+
     def __load(self, name, callback, mode="w"):
 
         if self.db_is_open:
@@ -500,7 +511,7 @@ class GrampsDBDir(GrampsDbBase,UpdateCallback):
         self.repository_map = self.__open_table(self.full_name, REPO_TBL)
         self.note_map       = self.__open_table(self.full_name, NOTE_TBL)
         self.reference_map  = self.__open_table(self.full_name, REF_MAP,
-                                              dbtype=db.DB_BTREE)
+                                                dbtype=db.DB_BTREE)
         if callback:
             callback(37)
 
diff --git a/src/GrampsDb/_GrampsDbBase.py b/src/GrampsDb/_GrampsDbBase.py
index dba6e12af..1042439bb 100644
--- a/src/GrampsDb/_GrampsDbBase.py
+++ b/src/GrampsDb/_GrampsDbBase.py
@@ -748,7 +748,7 @@ class GrampsDbBase(GrampsDBCallback):
         return index
 
     def __get_from_handle(self, handle, class_type, data_map):
-        data = data_map.get(str(handle),txn=self.txn)
+        data = data_map.get(str(handle))
         if data:
             newobj = class_type()
             newobj.unserialize(data)